Many thanks to the members of our community who have read, commented and liked our posts and blogs over the past week. As a diverse community, we have expressed our feelings after last week's tragic violence in Newtown, CT. We've listened to each other's stories and thoughts. And we've embraced each other, as our TBE kehilah kedoshah (holy community) does best. Please continue to be in touch if your TBE community can support you and your loved ones during this challenging time.

We've sent out messages to our entire community, in addition to the families engaged in our learning programs. If you have any questions about those communications, please contact the members of our staff. As new resources come available, we will continue to update our Parents & Families Resource Page on our website. We hope you find these messages and resources helpful, and appreciate your feedback. On this page, you will find messages from the TBE staff, information and photos from our learning programs and links to communal organizations who have developed resources that may be useful when processing and discussing these recent events.

Thoughts from Mara Rubinstein, Family Educator:

I am rarely speechless, but Friday’s events have rendered me so. Many of us have been struggling with the aftermath of the terrible events this past Friday, in Sandy Hook, CT. Many are reeling from this shocking tragedy and feel a need to provide consolation. At TBE, in times of suffering, we look to our Caring Community Team to integrate acts of loving kindness into the lives of TBE members in times of joy, sorrow and transition. In BM3T (our learning program for grades 6 and 7), our students wanted the chance to complete this mitzvah for the Sandy Hook community and so “community time” this week focused on just that. On Tuesday evening, we entered Community Room A not sure of what to expect…and when we arrived found a long roll of paper spread across the floor. Rabbi Saphire asked us sit around the long white rectangle on the floor and explained that we were being given the chance to provide comfort to the Sandy Hook, CT community. She also shared with us that Noah Aronson had been asked to be part of a special Havdalah ceremony this coming Shabbat in Sandy Hook and that he would carry these words of comfort to the grieving community. And so, we wrote our own words of support, blessing and prayers for Sandy Hook, a community in need of assistance and encouragement. We glued our thoughts and hopes to the paper, and left to go to our next class. On Wednesday morning as I walked in I noticed the paper on the credenza over where we keep our tallitot, displayed so that others could include their words along with those from the BM3T community. That afternoon, I watched a mother read some of the messages to her child during pick up from Gan Elohim. And last night, I watched the BM3T Wednesday night students contribute their voices and prayers to the mural. I still do not have the words to explain how this can happen nor am I able to express the depth of my sorrow for this community. I do know that from what I have seen in the days since the tragedy, that our ability to provide comfort and support for those in need, not only at TBE, but around the world, is palpable. Zichronam L’vracha - May their memory be a blessing.